Navigating Legislative Drafting in the Digitised Era: Harnessing AI while Ensuring Cybersecurity and Data Protection
Written on March, 2022
Introduction
The rapid pace of digitisation is profoundly influencing every aspect of our lives, including the traditionally conservative domain of legislative drafting. It is increasingly becoming clear that Artificial Intelligence (AI) can offer valuable tools to expedite and enhance the law-making process. However, this advancement comes with its set of challenges, most notably concerns surrounding data protection laws and cybersecurity. It's critical, therefore, to deliberate on how to shape an AI strategy for drafting practices that accounts for these aspects.
The AI Ecosystem in Legislative Drafting
The core of integrating AI into drafting practices lies in the creation of an 'AI ecosystem'. Rather than relying on one single tool, an ecosystem allows for the integration of multiple, advanced instruments. The ecosystem's design must be versatile, extensible, and flexible to adapt to the evolving nature of AI technologies.
Such an ecosystem, however, should not compromise on security. A significant section should be devoted to security and the anonymisation of data to adhere to data protection laws. A well-designed ecosystem enables easy updates and incorporation of emerging technologies, ascertaining its future-proof nature.
Addressing the Closed Architecture Issue
One of the prevailing problems that inhibit the large-scale adoption of AI in legislative drafting is the prevalence of closed, proprietary architectures. These structures resist extensibility and limit the integration of more innovative tools. A solution to this issue could lie in the use of open standards such as Akoma Ntoso. As an open XML standard, Akoma Ntoso could serve as a bridge connecting various legacy systems and facilitating the transition towards a more open and inclusive architecture.
Conclusion
As we transition into a digitised era, it becomes imperative to incorporate advanced technologies like AI into legislative drafting practices. However, such incorporation should be done with careful consideration of data protection laws and cybersecurity concerns. By creating an open, secure, and adaptable AI ecosystem, we can pave the way for a more efficient and innovative legislative drafting process. This approach would not only keep us in step with technological advancements but also ensure that legislation remains robust, precise, and in line with our contemporary digital reality.